Open Letter To My (Former) Roommate | The Odyssey Online
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Open Letter To My (Former) Roommate

I grew up, but no thanks to you.

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Open Letter To My (Former) Roommate
Point Park University

I regret ever having to be your roommate and I feel so incredibly sorry for the next person who ever has to share anything with you.

I feel sorry for the next person who will be passive aggressively attacked constantly over stupid things like hair on the ground and my toothbrush on "your" side of the shelf: "problems" you will never verbally address. I feel terrible for the unsuspecting victim who will accidentally piss you off so you post vicious tweets and snap chats about everything they do and your opinion on it, because you think you're some kind of YouTube star.

I wonder if you will eavesdrop on their phone conversations and text, tweet and record words they say, sharing it to all your followers who have no right to know their private conversations. I wonder if you will bully and belittle them with passive aggressive notes, back handed comments and slander. Even in your boldfaced commitments to ideas of "feminism" and acceptance, will you still call the next person who has the misfortune of living with you "slutty" and falsely judge them based on what they wear and what you think they've done in the past?

I wonder how your feminist friends, the ones who threatened to "TP" me on twitter for no longer paying for your toilet paper when you refused to pitch in, would feel if they knew you told me I looked "slutty" when I simply asked how my outfit looked. How would they feel if they knew all the comments you made about me needing to go to the gym or rather telling me I shouldn't eat dessert because I "didn't go to the gym" that day, as if that is your business at all.

Excuse me if I sound bitter but you made me feel as though I didn't deserve to live in the room that I paid just as much money for as you. You accepted my favors and my friends' favors, using my things, borrowing my clothes, constantly using my friends' printer without properly asking, but then you never returned the thought in any way, shape or form: not in a kind word, not in a thank you, not in a reciprocated favor.

You purposefully tried to push me out of my own room, telling me that I should start looking for another room if I didn't like the way you were acting. And why? You won't admit it, but I know. You convinced yourself I was doing something wrong because you didn't like the idea of having to share.

You resented your major so you told me how "easy" mine was and always had to comment on how "little homework" I had. You told me my major was boring and you would never ever pay to see a play; somehow you thought saying that to an ACTING major was okay. You hated school so when it got too stressful, you took it out on me.

You pretended it was about me putting my book-bag and my toothbrush on "your side". You pretended it was about me using your printer (after you told me I could). You pretended it was about my not letting you use my fridge after you hid your printer cord from me (instead of just asking me not to use your printer [AFTER YOU TOLD ME I COULD USE IT] ). But it wasn't about any of this.

You lied to everyone you knew about the horrible things I did, because you knew the truth wouldn't win you sympathy; your sides of the story that I have heard in the multitudes, have never been close to the truth. The most important thing I had to realize was none of it was about ME. You had all these "problems" with me but you never ever told me any of them. I had no way of knowing how you felt and I had no way of fixing them. But you didn't want me to fix them because if I fixed these "problems" you would have no reason to take all your homesickness, stress and frustration out on me. It was never about me. Now, how can I be so sure? I fully came to this realization when you began bullying our floor Resident Adviser instead of me, because you were confronted for your behavior.

See, it was NEVER about me (or her); it was about YOU and your lack of coping skills. Thank God I was able to see this but my fear is that the next person you treat so unfairly and poorly, won't be able to see what I see.

I can see how this open letter may seem hypocritical: writing indirectly to you about my feelings towards you but I waited until you were gone, you moved out and I'll hopefully never see you again. Now that I'm out of the situation, I feel free to speak on this subject.

I'm not writing this to trying to change you or make you feel bad. Unlike you when you posted about me, those aren't my intentions. I'm not calling you names or calling you "The Roommate From Hell" (once again, as you did me). I deserve a side to this story, and God knows everyone has already heard yours. I truly hope that next year, all the freshmen with toxic roommate situations can read this and know that they are not the problem. Hopefully, this open letter will encourage people to find roommates instead of allowing the school to randomly assign them (12/10 would recommend). And hopefully, upcoming freshman will choose to compromise and communicate, when they adjust to living away from home, rather than turn to hostility and petty fights, after reading this.

My final words aren't thank you, as these open letters usually go. I will not thank you for trying to taint my first year, for belittling me, bullying me and slandering me. You don't deserve that. Instead, I'm going to thank MYSELF and thank my wonderful Resident Adviser. Many thanks to myself, for not stooping to your level.

Thanks to myself for not retaliating on social media, for taking your abuse like an adult. Thanks to myself for acting my age and not letting you ruin my freshman year. Thanks to myself for still being civil, asking how you feel when you went home sick while you never bothered to even say "bless you" when I sneezed (what kind of person doesn't say "bless you"?), for letting you borrow my things, for asking you if I could turn on/off the lights even when you would often turn them on while I was sleeping, for inviting you to hang out with my friends. For a moment, I was tempted to give in, to tell you off. But I'm thanking myself for not putting myself in that position.

Also, thank you to my Resident Adviser for always being supportive, letting me vent and offering me solutions. For always answering my questions and assuring me of my worth and my right to live in our room. Certainly, I've grown, I've changed and I've matured this semester but it is NO THANKS to you. You will never ever receive my gratitude.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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